Destinies Joined
by Illusion of the Mirror
Summary: Follows events of the movies with a twist: the fateful day that Jack Sparrow escaped the noose, he and Will both leapt off the parapet, leaving Elizabeth behind in Port Royal. What will happen? Read and find out! Not my characters. The mouse owns all.


Destinies Joined

--Prologue--

By: Illusion of the Mirror

The sun shone mercilessly down into the courtyard of Fort Port Royal, its rays slicing into the gathered crowd to bounce off the gravel floor and choke the air with dizzying heat. None of the men or women who had ventured outdoors on this Caribbean summer day would have voluntarily stood so long in the elements, let alone in such close proximity to one another, except that today there was to be a hanging. And not just any hanging. It was the hanging of the convicted pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow.

Elizabeth Swann took in the entire seen with what felt like a two-hundred pound stone in her gut. _This is wrong._ She wrung her hands as her eyes roved the anxious throng of spectators before her. _Miserable wretches,_ she thought to herself bitterly. _What kind of horrible monster finds amusement in watching a man hang by the neck until dead?_

Glancing to her right, she took in the discontented countenances of both her father and Commodore Norrington. As if sensing her eyes on him, Weatherby Swann turned to meet her eyes and his lips slipped into a wan smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Elizabeth looked immediately away, setting her jaw as drumbeats started to sound.

The steady beat of the drum echoed through the courtyard in perfect sync with the boot steps of the soldiers entering through the stone archway. There, in the center of the procession being held by two guards was the poor doomed captain. Even now as he marched toward what was surely to be his death, Elizabeth could swear that he still carried his usual air of peculiar confidence. He took the crowd's jeers and scowls in stride and shuffled forward distractedly, undoubtedly trying to come up with some semblance of a plan. It wasn't until he was forced to climb the gallows' stairs and stood squarely in the middle of the platform, his nose even to the swaying noose, that he heaved a great sigh and dropped his eyes.

"Jack Sparrow," the crier began in a booming nasally voice. "Be it known that you are being judged for your willful commission of crimes against the crown. Said crimes being numerous in quantity and sinister in nature."

Elizabeth bit her lip, a feeling like claws gripping at her heart. The mass had now gone silent and listened as the wigged man in front of them began to list off said crimes. Shaking her head, she took in a sharp breath. "This is wrong."

"Commodore Norrington is bound by the law." Governor Swann spoke in an even, but sharp voice. He didn't meet his daughter's eyes when she looked up at him. Instead, he added a pointed, "As are we all."

Elizabeth looked past her father to the Commodore. His hands were clasped tightly behind his back and his posture was as rigid as always. But his visage was almost melancholy. He closed his eyes at the Governor's words and Elizabeth willed him to say something, **anything**, which may convince her father to otherwise.

But she knew he wouldn't. For as long as she had known James, he had ever been a man of utmost sincerity and integrity. There was little chance he would besmudge his record now for the sake of a pirate. Let alone **this** pirate. She had never felt so helpless in her life.

It was then, that a familiar face appeared before her. William Turner, dressed in a great feathered hat and new red cloak stepped out of the throng of onlookers and approached the morbid trio. Elizabeth felt the pain in her chest alleviate briefly as she remembered how her father had agreed to pardon him.

"Governor Swann," the young man greeted quietly with a nod of his head. "Commodore."

Then he turned to face her. "Elizabeth." She met his brown eyes with her own, struggling to keep from launching herself into his arms and weeping over the injustice about to take place. Her name hung in the air as he shifted from one foot to the other, as if trying to put his thoughts into words. Then his eyes darted to the right, and Elizabeth followed his gaze just in time to see a brightly colored macaw alight on the stone wall. _Cotton's parrot?_

She looked back to Will, the question ringing in her eyes. He merely bowed and offered a light "please excuse me" before heading back into the crowd. Hope fluttered in Elizabeth's chest as he started to push through towards the gallows, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Sensing trouble, both Governor Swann and the Commodore took a step forward, prepared to give orders to stop him and Elizabeth thought fast. Gripping her father's shoulder weakly and rolling her eyes upward she wheezed, "I can't breathe!" She let her knees crumple and fell unceremoniously to the floor, replicating a faint.

Her father immediately gasped her name and dropped to her side, effectively distracting James. The two knelt over her in concern as the drum roll sounded and she could feel her father fanning her with his hat. Then as sudden as it had began, the drum roll ceased, and Elizabeth, unable to handle the suspense any longer, shot up with wide eyes.

The executioner pulled the lever and the trap door of the gallows fell in, Jack plummeting down with it. But just at that moment, Will threw his sword and it caught in the wood below Jack's feet, literally saving his neck.

James Norrington immediately turned away and ordered his marines to action. Governor Swann was slower to recognize his daughter's ruse, but when he did gave her the most disapproving of frowns. "Elizabeth," he hissed.

Pandemonium erupted in the crowd as Jack Sparrow was cut free and together he and Will fought their way through the onslaught of marines. Elizabeth clambered to her feet and wished that she too could jump in to fight for their freedom. But as Norrington's men closed in, she began to see that their fight was a hopeless one. They were horribly out-numbered.

Once the two had been pinned between the edge of the parapet and a line of bayonets Norrington stepped forward, the tip of his fine sword just under William's chin. "I thought we might have to endure some manner of ill-conceived escape attempt," the Commodore said through clenched teeth. "But not from you."

The Governor stepped forward, Elizabeth at his elbow. "On our return to Port Royal, I granted you clemency. And this is how you thank me? By throwing in your lot with him? He's a pirate!"

Will's eyes blazed. "And a good man!" He lowered his sword, his jaw set defiantly. "If all that I have achieved here is that the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one. So be it." His eyes flitted to Elizabeth and then back to Commodore Norrington's. "At least my conscience will be clear."

At this, Elizabeth looked down. Will had known all along his attempt at rescue would most likely fail, but he was willing to die trying. And what had she done? Nothing. Gathering her courage, she stepped past her father, past the Commodore and into the circle of bayonets, taking up a stance in front of Jack as well. "As will mine," she stated in a voice that sounded much more confident than she thought it could.

James Norrington's usually stoic features were marred with shock and confusion. Governor Swann gasped and then, seeing his daughter's determination, ordered the men to lower their weapons.

"I don't understand," the Commodore said evenly, and she could see the reluctance in his eyes.

"I cannot stand idly by while Jack is hanged. I know what is the law, but I also know what is justice." She finished strong, bolstering her own resolve.

There was a tense silence, each member of the party at a loss for what to do next until Jack Sparrow cleared his throat. "Well," he began as he inched backward. "This has been quite the adventure." His eyes met Will's eyes and Elizabeth was able to catch the wink he gave. "I feel that we've all been able grow and learn a bit more about ourselves, eh? Years from now, we'll be able to look back on these times and smile with the knowledge that it all worked out in the end."

After he finished he jumped up onto the wall of the parapet and gave a mock salute. "It's been lovely, really. Thank you for the wonderful hospitality. Come along, William." And with that, he turned and took an exaggerated leap off the edge of the precipice and splashed into the water below. Elizabeth looked to Will with wide eyes. Surely, he wasn't going with Jack. Surely, he wouldn't leave her. But the remorseful look he gave her before turning quickly away was all she needed. The marines rushed forward to grab their captive, but were too late. William Turner had already followed after Sparrow.

Gillette, one of Commodore Norrington's officers, scoffed. "Idiots! They've nowhere to go but back to the noose!" But Elizabeth already saw the black sailed ship rounding the cliff at the end of the harbor, an immense sense of loss gripping her. They were leaving. Both of them. And she didn't even get to say goodbye.

"What now, Commodore?" Gillette queried. But Norrington was silent. He turned to Elizabeth, his fingers laced behind his back once more. His gaze was intense, but not harsh, and he didn't miss the tear that Elizabeth wiped from her cheek as she clutched at her chest.

"Commodore?"

James looked to the Governor. "Perhaps you should take Miss Swann home, sir. We have quite a bit of clean up to do here."

Governor Swann's face shone with confusion. "You don't mean to follow them, Commodore?"

Norrington glanced back to Elizabeth, who met his eyes only for a moment before flitting out to survey the horizon.

"Oh, I believe we can afford to give them one day's head start."


End file.
